36 finalist places. 24 podcasts. 24 of the 36 categories.
The finalists for the 2026 South African Podcast Awards are out, and our clients are in the final in two out of every three categories. Business and tech, history and faith, music, health, culture, international... wherever South African podcasting is being recognised this year, our clients are in the room.
And then there's one category worth a double take.
Best Corporate or Internal Podcast: five out of five
Every finalist in this category is a podcast we make with a client:
#FerringPod · Ferring Pharmaceuticals
Fossils by Firelight · Geological Society of South Africa
Local Logic · Altron
Network · Women in Mining South Africa
The Crucible · SAIMM
Like the Highlander said, there can be only one... and whichever envelope opens on 11 November, the winner will be one of our clients.
This is work we care about. These podcasts aren't chasing an audience to sell to advertisers. They speak to the people who matter to an organisation: its staff, its members, its clients, its field. Five out of five, judged independently on published work, tells us something we've believed for a long time: an organisation's own voice, on the record, is worth more than another brochure.
All 36, podcast by podcast
The Lion of Lindanda: Scripted · Sound Design · Production · Writing · History
(a finalist in five categories)
Network · Women in Mining South Africa: Society and Culture · Branded · Community Builder · Corporate or Internal (four)
Being You with Lisa Raleigh and Stafford Masie: Co-Hosts or Ensemble · Health and Wellness
From the Hip with Benjy Mudie: Original Score or Music Use · Arts and Entertainment
CEO Nights with Nyimpini: Business or Finance · Live Podcast Event
Local Logic by Altron: Technology · Corporate or Internal
Group One · AI and the Law: Branded · B2B
The Carmen Murray Show: Host
The Rest is Shifty: Editing
Carbon Compass: B2B
#FerringPod: Corporate or Internal
Fossils by Firelight · GSSA: Corporate or Internal
The Crucible · SAIMM: Corporate or Internal
Let's Talk Data: Technology
The Solutionists: Technology
Amandla with Mpeo: Society and Culture
Shotgun Story: Arts and Entertainment
The Soul Khaya: Faith and Spirituality
The Eminence Project: Self-Help and Personal Development
Wealthy-Her: Self-Help and Personal Development
High Net Purpose: International Show
The Reading Room with Melanie Walker: Arts and Entertainment
Melanie Walker's Grounded: Food, Leisure and Travel
Sharp Sharp · Rob Rose and Zukile Majova: Politics and Opinion
And yes, our own Solid Gold Story Time (Kids or Family) and Solid Gold Podcasts (Best Podcast Network) made the list too. Allow us a small, quiet smile ;-)
The guide, not the hero
Every good story has a hero and a guide. Luke has Yoda. Frodo has Gandalf.
Our clients are the heroes here. They're the ones who sit down in front of a microphone, say what they think and put it on the record, episode after episode (which takes more nerve than most people realise). We know the road, we hand over the right tools, and then we step back. The kudos is theirs.
The winners are announced on Wednesday 11 November at 19:00, premiering on YouTube, with watch parties in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
See all our clients' finalists on one page →
To every one of our clients in the final: thank you for trusting us with your voice. We'll be cheering loudly on the 11th :-)
And if your organisation has something to say to the people who matter most to it... you may be closer to next year’s shortlist than you think. Reply to this email and let's talk.
#BeHeard
PS. The full list of finalists, ours and everyone else's, is at sapodcastawards.co.za. Congratulations to every finalist.